A Piper Tri-Pacer, Cessna 182, and Cessna 310 today are better than the factories ever imagined—thanks to owners who wanted their aircraft to be, as the U.S. Army says, all they can be. They succeeded.

The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday voted to provide $15.7 billion to the Federal Aviation Administration in fiscal year 2015, representing a slight increase from the current $15.6 billion funding level.

The callout jolted me from a zone of concentration while intercepting a radial off of the Westminster, Maryland, VOR. “Traffic. 12 o’clock. Same altitude. One mile,” came the loud voice in the headset.